The Rapture of the Church - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Pastor David Guzik delivers a poignant expository sermon on the third chapter of First Thessalonians. Preached on July 10, 2024 at Calvary Chapel Santa Barbara, California, Pastor David examines key lessons from 1 Thessalonians 4, exploring how to view the "catching up" of the church which Paul described and is attested to throughout the Bible.

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[nadzach]

I had a wondrous opportunity of seeing my aunt's experience of passing on. Someone i could not see had come for her. He walked slowly across the room and around to her right hand. She left. After she departed, her body died. I understand now how it is that we dont taste of death. She was estatic and full of wonder. I couldnt help the joy. It wasnt appropriate for me to have joy and wonder. This is the reality. He comes for his own.

[kirklyles]

Psalm 17:15....I will be satisfied when I awake with Your likeness...Jesus is truely our blessed Hope!

[JadDragon]

Whatever happens and when it happens, we can't know it, stop it, postpone it, or escape it. Keep spreading the Gospel, living for God, and loving your neighbour.
Worrying won't add one more day after all.

Jesus lives! ♥️ and is God 🙏🏻 Christ ✝️ and King 👑

[billbuyers]

Been thinking about all the evil in the world and how God's mercy is needed. When God does judge the world, it will be so terrible that we can understand why He waited so long. So that in a strange way, gave me a little peace about all the evil things that He allows to happen, and let know that there is a reason for everything. I just need to do what God wants me to do and not worry so much about things not in my control. And if I worry, I can pray for God to do something about it.

[mrsedgarmaureen]

The lord is good and his mercy endures forever 🙏🏾

[nessakay]

God's word is true. The saints will not be in thr tribulation, or suffer through the wrath. We will be taken out in the rapture. I believe it and looking forward to receiving my crown for loving His appearance ❤

[MamaTtoB-P]

Thank you much Pastor David. This couldn’t have come at a better time with my family having to say goodbye to my cousin Connie. She passed suddenly from a massive heart attack, so unexpected but confirmation to BE READY. AMEN

[fernandomarquez]

Grateful father in heaven for your word of guidance, wisdom and how you move among us, in the name of Jesus who lives and reigns forever and ever Amen.

[vln]

My husband and I have talked quite a bit about the verses Rev 6:9-11 about the souls under the alter if they don't have a body why would they be given white robes. You sermon brought clarity to our discussion.

[missinglink_eth]

Thank the Lord that salvation is not based on a particular view of the millennium, whether the rapture is a secret catching away to heaven vs the second coming itself, or anything regarding us interpreting unfulfilled prophecy. Jesus is coming back. Put your faith, your belief, your loyalty in Jesus... in what he did at the cross and serve him faithfully.

[VansillnaEvans]

What a day that will be when my I shall see, blesseth hope we have in Jesus

[pathmaker]

Could be this Oct 2-4th feast of trumpets. Looking up.

[oldporkchops]

@DavidGuzikEnduringWord Hi Pastor Guzik, do you have a sermon or an article where you outline the sequence of events that happen before, during, and after our Lord's second coming? After studying end time prophecy for awhile, I've become confused as to what are the things that need to happen before Jesus comes again (Gospel preached to the whole world, red heifer, temple rebuilt, etc), and the entities that are mentioned in the Bible (beast, anti-Christ, harlot, false prophet, mystery Babylon, etc). There's so many moving parts that further study might confuse me. As such, a chronology or suggested chronology (pre-trib rapture vs post-trib) would be helpful.

Thank you for considering my questions.

[SpotterVideo]

What does an understanding of the New Covenant do to the Pretrib Rapture doctrine?

Since the New Covenant is “everlasting” in Hebrews 13:20, how is the New Covenant Church age going to end seven years before the Second Coming of Christ? Why would anyone think God is going back to the Old Covenant system now made “obsolete” by the New Covenant in Hebrews 8:13? We are not come to Mount Sinai in Hebrews 12:18. We are come instead to the New Covenant church of Mount Zion and the blood in Hebrews 12:22-24.

Once a person comes to understand the New Covenant promised to Israel and Judah in Jeremiah 31:31-34, which is found fulfilled by Christ during the first century in Hebrews 8:6-13, and Hebrews 10:16-18, and specifically applied to the Church in 2 Corinthians 3:6-8, and Hebrews 12:22-24, modern Dispensational Theology falls apart, and the pretrib removal of the Church falls with it.

The Capitol "C" Church, as we use the word today, is not found in the entire Book of Revelation. Individual church bodies in ancient Asia Minor are found. In Revelation 12:11 we find those under the blood of the Lamb. A person cannot be under the blood of the Lamb and not be a part of the New Covenant Church of Jesus Christ. Verse 12 of this passage proves at least part of the tribulation period is the wrath of Satan upon the people of God.

Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Rev 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

"It may come as a surprise to most pre-Trib prophecy students that the post-Trib position (in its primitive form) is the oldest point of view."
(The quotation above is from the book "Will You Escape The Tribulation? RAPTURE [Under Attack]", by Tim LaHaye, copyright 1998, Page 197.) Tim LaHaye was co-author of the “Left Behind” books and movies which have convinced millions of modern Christians that the Church age ends seven years before the Second Coming of Christ. Recently, Pastor Matt Furse of Mountain View Baptist Church in Custer, S.D. has written a book titled “Which One Is Right?’, which reveals the recent history of the pretrib rapture doctrine, and the fact it does not agree with what is written in the King James Bible.

The gathering of the Church is described at the end of 1 Thess. Chapter 4, and the timing of the event is found in chapter 5. The word “But” in the first verse of chapter 5 connects the two chapters, and the words “we” and “sleep” in verse 10 of chapter 5 prove the two chapters are connected.

The Greek words for “wrath” and “tribulation” are not the same word, as proven by the verse below.

Rev 1:9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Watch the YouTube video “Pretribulation Paradox” by former pretrib believer

[coddizzle]

Hey there,
You spoke at Calvert chapel fremont when I was visiting last year. Do you have anything or the pre tribulation rapture or post? I've always thought we'd be taken up prior to the tribulation but I visited my grandma recently and she believes post tribulation rapture. I've seen arguments for both

[wqnc]

The Pastor believe that sleep is just a metaphor and that in death there is no lost of consciousness and existence . But since there isn't one single scripture in the bible that says that man has an immortal spirit or soul which is what he believes, death takes a totally new meaning . It is no longer the last enemy that will be destroyed as Jesus said, it has become a friend, who think that in death you close your eyes on this earth and immediately you open them in the presence of the Lord.
Everybody that quotes Paul's words Absent from the body and Present with the Lord, are doing the opposite of what Paul was teaching in the book of Corinthians when he said, do not go beyond what is written .
In this scripture, it is read and assume that Absent from the body and present with the Lord is IMMEIATELY after death. Death is a blessing and it opens the door to be present with the Lord while in the state of death . So for those who believe this, the resurrection is meaningless . A good reason why the churches never preach about the resurrection.

Ask yourself the question, why was Paul trying to comfort the Thessalonians concerning those who have fallen asleep if like the Pastor said, if they are dead, conscious, still exist and are RESTING ?
Didn't they know that to be absent from the body is to be PRESENT with the Lord, and to die is gain ? This is what the churches teach today about death, don't you find it strange that if this was the right interpretations, this would it been the first words out of Paul's mouth ?
.But its obvious that Paul who was inspired and receive from God every detail of the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead knew very well that no DEAD man in the state of death while dead and without being resurrected could be present with the Lord .
It is at the moment that the dead in Christ will RISE first that you will be present with the Lord.
In fact 1 Cor 15.32 Paul says that if the DEAD do not rise, let us eat and drink for tomorrow we DIE. Death is the end of life, we ceased to exist and its the penalty of sin . If there is no RESURRECTION, those who have fallen ASLEEP in Christ have perished 1Cor 15.18
Without the resurrection there is no life beyond the grave, you cannot be dead and present with the Lord, the resurrection is our ONLY ticket back to life from the grave . Jhn 5.28.29

WE return to the dust and ironically it is from a grave in the dust that we will return to life and be rewarded with ETERNAL LIFE and IMMORTALITY,
Because you NEVER had neither one, nor God ever created any part of YOU to live forever .
He made sure in Gen 3.22 that as soon as man disobeyed God he place two cherubim in the Garden of Eden to prevent them from reaching out and eating from the Tree of LIFE and
I V I N G O R E V E

In Gen 6.3 God said spirit will not strive with man FOREVER for he is indeed FLESH.
Notice that if man had been created with an immortal soul or spirit, eternal life able to live FOREVER, then God will not say that he will not strive with man forever .
FOREVER was not in God's plan when he created man . FOREVER is available through Christ by personal choice ONLY at the resurrection

Satan lie when he said to Eve, you shall not die. This the same lie the churches are teaching today, that in death you remain alive and conscious and during the state of death you can be present with the lord, who needs a resurrection if your claim is that you have an immortal soul. Except that the bible says that the only one who has immortality is God. If you claim that man was created eternal you are ignoring the scriptures.

[brokenpeople]

Regarding the thought that the whole world will be Christianized in 20, 000 years, that actually does give me hope. Not to say I'm 100 percent convinced that it's the case, but if the gospel has had this effect on the world and it's only been 2000 years, I think it would be a pretty awesome thing to see it's power in action the more time passes. Yeah, I know the world seems to be declining in so many ways, but how many people have experienced salvation in and through it all? I'm still wrestling with stuff, I appreciate this study.

[Mike]

Why isn't this the same event as in Matt. 24, when he gathers together his elect from the four winds? Both call it his "coming, " both have the trumpet call, him coming like a thief and the need to be awake, aware and obedient, both have the destruction of the wicked at that time. See also 2Thess. 1:6-8, which describes the coming of the Lord at that same time as rescuing the saints, and destroying the wicked, no separation between the two events.

[preciadocrss]

Maybe is that when we die is as when we fall sleep very tired, and when we realize next thing is already day, the night passed rapidly and we were unconscious of it, we didn’t feel the time passed, maybe the death is something like that, we die, and next thing we hear the voice of Jesus telling unas to wake up, in a twinkle of an eye, because we didn’t feel the time, so in appearance is immediately when we are in the presence of the lord after death, but in reality the time passed…..

[kingcalv]

47:03 plz explain. 1 Thessalonians 4v15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. So the bible teaches that the resurrection happens first then the rapture, so if we know when the resurrection is then we know after will be the rapture. look at Revelation 20v1-5 1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They[a] had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. This clearly teaches that the "They" had gone through the tribulation and did not worship the beast, it teaches that these events happen after Armageddon. So where is the pre-trib? with all due respect I do think Pastor Guzik is a great teacher but he is wrong on this one